Description
Region: Covering Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Avon, Devon and Cornwall
Contract: Permanent, part time
Salary: £18,963 - £22,050 per annum (£27,089 - £31,499 FTE)
Location: Homebased with travel across designated region
Closing date: Monday 11 November 2024
Are you passionate about making a difference for horses in need? As a Regional Adoption Facilitator, you'll have the rewarding opportunity to connect these beautiful animals with loving homes across Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Avon, Devon, and Cornwall.
More about the role
In this fulfilling part-time role, you’ll work closely with our dedicated Adoption Coordinators to help implement the Blue Cross strategy, focusing on effective horse adoption services, including home direct placements. You will oversee the post-adoption process in your region, ensuring smooth transitions and making space for new cases. Your efforts will directly improve the lives of horses and the families who welcome them into their homes.
This is a home-based position with significant travel involved. We’re looking for a coordinator who can adapt their work schedule to meet the needs of the role, which may include some evenings and weekends. Occasionally, you may need to exceed standard hours depending on workload demands.
As the Regional Adoptions Facilitator, you will use your own car for travel related to your duties, and you’ll be reimbursed for business mileage. This part-time role consists of 26.25 hours spread over four days each week, which may include weekends and bank holidays.
A Glimpse into Your Week:
* Conduct home checks and visits—both in person and virtually—to ensure every horse is placed in a safe environment.
* Collaborate with our Rehabilitation, Trainer, and Behaviour Advisor (RTBA) team to address any horse behaviour challenges and support successful placements.
* Match horses with suitable owners and offer ongoing support throughout the adoption journey.
* Recruit and manage a network of enthusiastic volunteers, including a regional volunteer manager, to assist with assessments and checks.
* Coordinate visits and build partnerships with external charities that align with our mission, enhancing our reach within the community.
* Ensure every interaction with potential adopters is informative and supportive, guiding them in finding the perfect horse for their family.
We appreciate that the travel demands of this role can be significant, and we are committed to supporting you in effectively managing your schedule to ensure a healthy work-life balance.
For a more detailed look at the role and its requirements, please see the attached job description.
About you
We’re looking for someone who shares our passion for animal welfare and has a background in client-facing roles within horse-related environments. We anticipate that suitable candidates will reside in either Somerset or North Devon to effectively cover this region.
You will have a solid background alongside a minimum of BHS Stage 4 or equivalent qualifications and practical experience in horse care and management.
With a client-focused mindset and the ability to stay calm under pressure, you will be well-prepared to make informed decisions that benefit both horses and their new owners. Your strong communication and interpersonal skills will enable you to build positive relationships with clients, colleagues, and external partners, fostering a supportive environment for all involved.
We seek a proactive and enthusiastic individual adept at problem-solving and navigating challenges effectively. Your organisational abilities will ensure that tasks are managed efficiently, while your resilience and emotional intelligence will empower you to support clients and colleagues with empathy, contributing to the well-being of Blue Cross horses and the families who adopt them.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:
* Understanding of matching considerations for horses and homes.
* Full driving licence with access to your own vehicle.
* Minimum BHS Stage 4 or acceptable equivalent qualifications or experience.
* Practical knowledge and experience in horse care and management.
* Experience in assessing horses, riders, and their environments.
* Excellent communication skills with a talent for building rapport with clients.
* Proven experience delivering high-quality customer service in a dynamic environment.
* Good IT skills and experience with various computer applications.
* Strong organisational skills and the ability to distil important information.
While not essential, having the following would be a plus:
* Experience working with volunteers.
* Client relationship management experience.
* Understanding of safeguarding issues.
How to apply
Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Monday 11 November 2024 at midnight.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.
Blue Cross benefits
Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.
In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.
Our generous benefits package includes:
* Full time equivalent of 38 days holiday rising to 43 with service (including Bank Holidays)
* Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support
* Free access to GP via MetLife- 24/7 GP services, private prescriptions and more for you and your family
* Free physiotherapy advice and face to face intervention
* Health cash plan
* Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme
* Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution
* Professional fees paid with Continuing Professional Development and personal development support.
* Life assurance
* 20% discount on Pet Plan pet insurance
* Enhanced family friendly policies
* Recognition scheme
* Annual volunteer days
* Charity worker discounts across a variety of retailers
To read more about the benefits Blue Cross has to offer, please visit the 'why work for us' page on our website.
Blue Cross is a national charity that has been helping sick, injured and homeless pets since 1897.
Every month we help thousands of pets and their people by providing veterinary care, expert behaviour advice and find homeless pets loving families. We also offer education for future generations plus pet bereavement support for those who have lost their beloved pet companion.
We love the ways that pets can make such an amazing difference to the people they live with and we offer lifelong support and advice to help that unique relationship thrive. With your support we can give back to more pets and their families who need our help.
Pets change lives. We change theirs.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
We believe that every pet should enjoy a healthy life in a happy home, and we always seek to recruit the best people who share our values and commitment so we can continue to help and support pet owners across the UK to achieve this.
At Blue Cross, we want you to feel that you belong, without the need to hide any part of who you are.
Diversity and inclusion at Blue Cross means creating a workplace where all people, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, nation or country of origin, disability, age, and socioeconomic backgrounds are welcome, respected, supported, and have access to equal opportunities.
We are working hard to reflect the world we live in and the communities we serve at every level of our organisation. As much as we have made positive advances, we consider diversity and inclusion to be a work in progress – a continual commitment that remains a priority for all of us.
If you would like to talk to us about any reasonable adjustments or changes to our recruitment process to support you to be your best, then please get in touch either via email at jobs@bluecross.org.uk, via telephone on 01993 825515 or if you would prefer a video call then we can arrange this using Microsoft Teams.
Our values
Our values define the way we do things. We use them every day to guide us, and to make sure we put people and pets at the heart of everything we do.
Compassionate: We listen, we are non-judgmental, we are kind and caring to the pets and people we encounter, and we offer support in difficult times
Courageous: We make brave decisions, embrace change, and encourage innovation, ensuring we always act with integrity – doing the right thing even when no one is looking
Inclusive: We value all our relationships and work in an open and positive culture where we celebrate our diverse talents and empower you to be you